Eighth of an Acre Bounty

The first of this month was my birthday. Our dogwood in the backyard always tends to bloom within a week or two of my birthday every year and puts on a chorus of color with the emerging lilacs, tulips and iris. Although May tends to be a generally soggy month in this part of the world, the flowers are all emerging and it is a gorgeous time to be alive.

This birthday in particular marked a half-way point in my life. This year I turned the same age that my mother was when she had me. I am reminded regularly of how fortunate I am with the family that surrounds me and the friends and partners I’ve encountered and kept. I was a bit of a blubbering mess at my birthday dinner with Gary and my parents, but it was all borne of love and gratitude and there were (are) no better people to fall apart around.

Gary colluded with my parents on a present which was very fitting and far too much. The result is that I am putting just a fraction of the total cost toward the Permaculture class I mentioned a few posts ago. I was (and am) overwhelmed by the gift and will be studiously dreaming up ways in which to return the magnitude of their generousity.

This month also marks a year from when I made some major changes and moved toward working less, commuting less, eating out less, buying less, wasting less and earning less money. I gained so much more of my life back in this process and I honestly wouldn’t trade the time I’ve regained for the world.

I’m really not a very sappy-sweet, nor chipper person. My sense of humor runs more to sardonic than slapstick and I tend to identify with those that see the clouds rather than the rainbows. Although I still am gravely concerned with the trajectory of the world in general (and our country in particular), I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful, thankful and even a little bit hopeful when I witness the people I am lucky enough to call friends and family and the folks I have met through this blog.